PATCH PICKS: Top 5 Ways to Spend a Rainy Day

Rain ruins everything.

Nothing will suck the energy out of a person like a gray sky and a heavy drizzle. It's hard to muster the will to do much of anything when looking out your window gets you about as excited as doing a book report on The Crucible.

One option? Sleep through the rain. But the way things have been going lately, you'd have to be Rip Van Winkle to pull that off. Another option? Sit at a table tucked way in the dark, back corner of Padonia Station and drink until you forget whether it's day or night.

But these are only temporary measures. Eventually, you need to get out of the house and do something! But what can you do entirely indoors besides cleaning your apartment?

How about:

 Watch a Movie - Head up to the AMC in Hunt Valley or swing by one of the many Redbox kiosks in the Lutherville-Timonium area. You'll find one on almost every corner, including at places like Graul's, McDonald's, 7-Eleven, Royal Farms, Walmart and Wegman's. You can also stop by Jason's Deli and mourn the loss of the Blockbuster that previously stood in its place if you're feeling nostalgic.

Go Antiquing - Shoot up York Road a ways and you'll find yourself surrounded by antique shops in Tyrie Village. There's something mysterious about handling old artifacts, items that harken back to simpler times. You're secretly hoping to stumble on the Holy Grail and haggle the price down to a couple of bucks. It's also fun to laugh at old, outdated technologies and gadgets.

Read a Book - The recently renovated offers a great place to escape the rain. Grab a table and read a book, knock out some homework or chip away at that novel you're working on. I've personally found that libraries are also a great place to steal a quick nap, yet still feel like you're being productive.

Play a Game - Knock down some pins at or head over to for a few games of pool. Both spots have an arcade as well, if real world athletics aren't your thing.

Go Shopping - When the weather's really getting you down, do like teenagers in tiny Midwestern towns do: go hang out at Walmart. You can spend hours at Walmart, riding tricycles around, playing the demo version of MLB 2K11, and picking up some groceries because, hey, you're already there. Another great place to visit on a dreary day is the Yorkridge Shopping Center, which features , , and . Everyone knows spending money helps the blues go away.